Consumers are addressing weight management in 2021. Over the last 12 months, they have become more conscious than ever about a number of health issues. While COVID-19 has clearly made shoppers questions their vulnerability to future disease and illness, it also has raised awareness around weight and weight loss.
In fact, obesity has been the No. 1 health concern for consumers, as prevalence grows and so does awareness about the health complications associated with excessive waistlines.
So as consumers look to adopt a healthier lifestyle, they are now looking to adapt their diets and pursue a holistic health approach to life. But what exactly are consumers doing in order to address weight management?
In 2021, FMCG Gurus consumer insights showed that 37 percent of global consumers have become more conscious about their weight as a result of COVID-19, a 16 percent increase from 2020. One of the reasons why consumers have become more concerned about waistlines is due to changing eating and drinking habits.
The pandemic has left consumers feeling anxious and concerned about the future, resulting in consumers turning to comfort foods and snacks for moment of escapism.
For example, during the first peak of the pandemic, 60 percent of global consumers stated that they had bought more comfort food, like ice cream and confectionery in the last month.
However, as life slowly shifts to a post-pandemic mindset, consumers are becoming conscious of how many calories they are eating. And in February 2021, only 43 percent of consumers state they have turned to more comfort food.
This suggests that consumers are starting to shift their dietary habits in order to address their weight management.
Key strategies consumers use to lose weight
When it comes to losing weight, consumers are likely to adopt two key strategies.
Firstly, consumers state they will increase their intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. Secondly consumers will look to reduce their intake of sugary products such as confectionery.
However, even though consumers say they are trying to cut down on sugary confectionery products, consumers can find this hard to maintain.
Irrespective of concerns about health, taste and enjoyment continue to be the priority for consumers when choosing products. This is especially true in an era of uncertainty, as they turn to food alleviate stress.
FMCG Gurus research also shows that 37 percent of global consumers are not fully aware of how much sugar is in a product or what the calorie count is. This is an issue in which brands need to address as consumers can often feel that nutritional labelling is confusing.
Consumers can be sceptical of the practices and policies of brands in general, and this attitude further highlights the importance of brands streamlining ingredient lists and making nutritional labelling as simple as possible, so that consumers can have maximum control over their nutritional intake. Therefore, it is important that brands are seen as being transparent with easier to read nutritional labelling to reassure consumers.
However consumers adjust to a post-pandemic world, it seems likely that sweets will be a part of their new, new routines.
Will Cowling, Marketing Manager at FMCG Gurus. This article is based on FMCG Gurus - Weight Management Strategies - Addressing Obesity - Global Report 2021. For more information please contact, info@fmcggurus.com.
